Motor-control system



.Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,767

w. FELS MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed July 8. 1920 t 1 INVENTOR BY at onuzvf Feb. 2 1926.

W. FELS MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed y 8. 1920 3 Sheets-Shegt 2 INVENTOR f/q/ AIIORNEY 5' Feb. 2 1926.

W. FELS MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed July 8. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 HOH INVENTOR a e 4K5 ATTORNEY BEST AVAILABLE COPY Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

= UNITED STA OFFICE.

WILLIAM rats, or aL En'rA, ALABAMA, nssrenon r0 max NYDEGGER, or

' ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

' Moron-common SYSTEM.

- Original application filed J'1.lly'8, 1!'9.20,E Seria1 1{o.;394,ti78. ilivided and this application filed September 3, 1921, Serial No. 498,309.

To all whom it'may comcmi;

- Be-it known tha'bL-WILLIAM FELs,,a ,citizen of Austria, residing in Elberta, county of Baldwin, and-State of Alabama, have invented an Improvement-in .Motor Control Systems,of which -the'iollowing is a' specification.

provement in driving mechanism for knittomatic reversingand speed controlling divisional of my 1 co-pending application Serial No. 394,67 8 filed July 8,1920. UOneobiect has been to provide aimachine which shall be fully oripartly automatic (and at the same 'time'ot relativelysimple construction with a minimum of mechanically controlled and actuated parts. A furtherob- ,b

ject has-been to provideyrelatively simple means for preventing injury tothe machine in case of careless or erroneous operation.

It is known that knitting machines, automatic in varying degrees, have been devised but these machines are usually of complicated design and involve-a multiplicity of mechanical movements which not only make the machine expensive to manufacture, but also cause frequent breakdownsand make it necessary forthe operator to devote considerable attention to repairs and adjustments.

According to the present invention, utilize substantially the well known framework and opposed front and rear needlel beds of a flat links links machine, although I do not intend to limit the application of the.

present invention to machines of this type, it being contemplated that the same or similar principles of operation may be applied to other types of knitting machines with suit able modifications. In connection with the flat double bed machine, I use a reciprocating carriage automatically reversible in direction and which carries with it'suitable means for efiecting changes in the positions of the jack actuating cams to produce corresponding changes in the stitchlength, also cam positioning meansfor controlling the action of the needle jacks to produce either flat or links links operation according to a predetermined order, and means for engaging and disengaging a plurality of thread carriers to vary the color scheme of the ,iabric according to a predetermined arrange- Renewed December 7-, 192 5.

.ment, although the device forming the subject-matter. of the presentapplicat-ion will referred to or theirequivalents.

-One embodiment of my invention is illusv 'trated inythe drawings accompanying the The present invention relates to an im--.

,presenhspecification, and in which v a 1 Figure -'1-is ayfront elevation, ting machinesand more part cularlyto au- Figure 2,.a.rear elevation,

Figurefi, atop plan view, I mechanism, the presentapplicationbeing-a j Figure 4, a diagrammatic representation .of aportion of the electrical control system,

v I;. j V

I -Figure 5, a yiew in detail indicating contact mechanism-mounted on a reciprocating carriage. 1

Referring to the drawings, a machine emody-ingmy invention may conveniently comprise a framework A supporting a fixed 'rear needle bed B and a front needle bed C I. preferably slidable both. longitudinally and transversely to separate the needle beds if desired for placing or removing the knitted fabric (Figure 3). A reciprocating carriageD is arranged above the needle beds B and C, said carriage being driven by any suitable means such as a motor E operatlvely connected to a drive chain 101, said chain having a slotted member 102 adapted to receive and engage the free end 103 of a I; lwer pivotally mounted on the carriage at 104. As shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the chain 101, is mounted on sprockets arranged at opposite ends of the machine, said sprockets being driven by a belt or other eonnectionwith the motor E. To effect the reciprocating motion of the carriage, means are provided for periodically reversing the direction of the current throughthe armature of the motor thus reversingi'the direction of the chain 101. To accomplish this reversing operation automatically, a reversing switch is interposed in the power circuit, said switch including as its moving member an armature 110 being controlled by a double relay, indicated at F-in Figure 4 of the drawings, the opposed magnets 112 and 113 and also a parallel resistance or manually operated rheostat 108. Thus, to increase the resistance in the conductor 106, the rheostat 108 may be periodicallycut out. This is conveniently accomplished automatically by means of a relay including a magnet 109 and an armature 111 normally withheld from said magnet by suitable means, such as a spring 11 said magnet being in circuit withboth magnets of the double relay F and also with the fixed contact R at one end of the machine, the adjustable contact R at the opposite end of the machine, and the movable circuit closing contact R mounted on the carriage D. For practical purposes, the magnet 109 and the double relay may .operate substantially simultaneously. However, the action of the double relay may be effectively delayed by making the barv or armature 110 thereof heavier than the bar 111 or otherwise temporarilydelaying or yieldingly impeding the movement i of said bar 110. Thus, the current in the motor E will be reduced either simultaneously with or just before the change of direction of the current'therein.

Obviously, the reverse movement of the .motor will begin at reduced speed and the 1-heostat108 will remain cut out of the motor circuit as long as contact R" remains in engagement with either of the contacts'R or R. However, as soon as the continued reverse movement of the carriage carries contact R out of said engagement, full current will again be available in the motor circuit. V

It will be clear that the driving mechanism hereinabove described and illustrated in the drawings provides a compact and re-- liable means for driving the carriage of a knitting machine and is measurably more simple and effective than-purely mechanical means heretofore designed and used for a similar purpose.

I claim as my invention:

1. A motor control system comp-rising a motor, current control means in the circuit of said motor including a reversing switch and variable resistance, a relay for actuat ing the switch and av relay for varying the resistance in the motor circuit, both of said relays being in the same circuit, and means for alternately opening and closing said relay circuit.

2. A motor control system comprising a motor, current control means in the circuit of said motor including a reversing switch and variable resistance, a slow acting relay BEST AVAlLABLE COPY for actuating the reversing switch and a relatively more rapidly acting relay for varying ,the resistance ,in the motor circuit,

both of-said relays being in the same relay circuit, and means for energizing the mag nets of said relays simultaneously.

3. The combination with a reciprocating member and a "motor for driving-the same,

of a reversing switch in the motor circuit, means for actuating said reversing switch and means in circuit with said actuating 'meansto reduce-the speed of the motor prior to effective operation of said means for actuating the reversing switch.

posite end of the run of the carriage, said i fixed and slidably adjustable contacts being arranged to alternately engage the contact on the carriage, driving means for said carriage including a motor operative-1y connected with the carriage, and a reversing switch in the motor circuit, and a switch actuating relay in circuit withthe aforesaid contacts and operable to actuate tlie'reversing switch upon engagement of the carriage contact with either of 'the other contacts.

5. In a motor control system for knitting machines, the combination of a reciprocating carriage carrying a contact, a fixed contact at one end of the run of the carriage and a slidably adjustable contact at the opposite end of the run otthe carriage, said fixed and slidably adjustable contacts being arranged to alternately engage the contact on the carriage to close a relay circuit, a carriage driving motor, and motor speed varying means including a relay in said circuit operative during engagement of the car riage contact with either of the other contacts.

"16.In a-motor control system for knitting machines, the combination of a reciprocating carriage carrying a contact, a fixed contact at one end of the run of the carriage and a slidably adjustable contact at the posite end of the run of the carriage, said fixedand slidably adjustable contacts-being arranged to alternately engage the contact on the carriage, driving means for said carriage including a motor operatively connected with the carriage, a-reversing switch in the motor circuit, motor speed changing means, and means in circuit with the motor speed changing means to actuate the reversing switch upon engagement of the carriage contact with either of the other contacts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name'to this specification this 13th day of July 1921.

WILLIAM FELS. 

